Braunschweig only burns in the stands in Hanover
Hannover 96 - Eintracht Braunschweig 2:0 (2:0)
Hannover 96 have won the Lower Saxony derby against Eintracht Braunschweig in the 2nd Bundesliga and climbed to third place in the relegation play-offs with the victory over the team bottom of the table. Coach Stefan Leitl's team prevailed 2:0 (2:0) in a heated encounter on matchday 12. With 21 points, 96 are only ahead of northern rivals FC St. Pauli (26) and Hamburger SV (24).
Fabian Kunze (12th) and former international Marcel Halstenberg (42nd/foul penalty) scored for Hannover, who face St. Pauli in the top-of-the-table clash on Friday. Braunschweig's interim coach Marc Pfitzner conceded his second defeat in his second game in charge, with Eintracht (five points) now seven points behind the 16th relegation place after their fifth defeat in a row. In addition, BTSV lost captain Jannis Nikolaou with a yellow-red card (57').
42,000 spectators in Hanover saw a game that was tense in two respects. The match was kicked off late due to the use of pyrotechnics and later interrupted twice more, while the action on the pitch was also characterized by hecticness and fighting. However, 96 clearly had the advantage and got off to the better start. Braunschweig goalkeeper Ron-Thorben Hoffmann did not look good when Kunze scored the opening goal.
After a foul by Saulo Decarli on Louis Schaub, Halstenberg converted the spot kick safely for his third goal of the season. The Eintracht fans reacted with fireworks towards the pitch, referee Sascha Stegemann had to interrupt the game and also intervene in the second half. By the time Nikolaou was sent off, the match, which was characterized more by skirmishes than classy play, was decided.
Hansa Rostock - Hertha BSC 0:0 (0:0)
Hertha BSC lost ground in the battle to stay in the promotion places. Coach Pal Dardai's team were held to a 0-0 draw by Hansa Rostock on Sunday despite scoring an aluminum goal. Although Berlin are unbeaten in three competitive matches in a row, the relegated Bundesliga side remain in the second half of the table. For Rostock, it was an important point in the relegation battle after Hansa had recently lost three league games in a row. The Kogge, who are only three points behind Hertha with 13 points, had only won one of their previous seven games.
Hertha had the upper hand in the first half at the Ostseestadion, but the attacking duo of Fabian Reese/Haris Tabakovic did not really find each other. Scoring chances were few and far between as the visitors, with Marton Dardai and Linus Gechter replacing the suspended central defenders Toni Leistner and Marc-Oliver Kempf, defended well against Rostock's efforts. After the break, the Berliners came out of the locker room with momentum - and were twice unlucky with aluminum. First Pascal Klemens (52') hit the post with a low shot from 20 meters, before Reese (62') headed a Dardai corner onto the crossbar. Hertha were now becoming more dominant. After a great assist from Smail Prevljak, Jonjoe Kenny (64) failed to beat Hansa goalkeeper Markus Kolke. Hertha were lucky when Rostock grew stronger in the closing stages and Klemens made a superb save from Juan Jose Perea (77).
Karlsruher SC - SC Paderborn 0:3 (0:1)
SC Paderborn took the tailwind from the cup into the league. Four days after their victory at Bundesliga club SC Freiburg (3:1), the East Westphalians won 3:0 (1:0) at Karlsruher SC on matchday 12 and climbed into mid-table. Striker Adriano Grimaldi (17) and substitute Felix Platte (71/86) scored for Paderborn. KSC, who have fallen far short of expectations, are stuck in the basement.
In front of 23,705 spectators at Wildpark, the visitors were clearly the better team in the early stages. Almost nothing went right for KSC. The SCP lead through Grimaldi was the logical consequence. Although the hosts continued to struggle after going behind, Lars Stindl and Igor Matanovic had a double chance to equalize (38').
Just a few seconds after the restart, it was Matanovic again who missed a great chance (46'). Despite the missed opportunity, Karlsruhe upped the tempo and the equalizer was in the air. In the 57th minute, it was Fabian Schleusener who was unable to finish. Platte did better at the other end with his first action. Shortly before, referee Patrick Schwengers had denied KSC a penalty.
- Despite being at the bottom of Bundesliga 2, Hanover 96's rivals Eintracht Braunschweig had a tough match against them in Hanover, ultimately losing 2:0.
- In a different game, Hansa Rostock managed to secure a 0:0 draw against Hertha BSC, which was important for them in the relegation battle as they were only three points behind Hertha.
- SC Paderborn continued their good form after their cup victory, defeating Karlsruher SC 3:0 in the Bundesliga 2, with striker Adriano Grimaldi and substitute Felix Platte scoring for them.
- Karlsruhe SC, on the other hand, have been struggling in the league and are currently stuck at the bottom of the table, failing to capitalize on their opportunities against SC Paderborn.
Source: www.ntv.de
